LSU Football's Brian Kelly Reveals Plans Along Offensive Line, Weston Davis Status

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will hit the road in Week 8 for an SEC matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores at FirstBank Stadium.

Following a victory over Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks this past Saturday, all focus is on the task at hand against a Diego Pavia led Commodores squad.

For No. 10 LSU, questions remain surrounding the offense and what's next with the unit after another subpar performance in Week 7.

"I was pleased with some things that we did that we have not been doing. We ran the ball with more effectiveness and got the ball to Trey’Dez Green," Kelly said. "I was pleased about that.”

“But, certainly, you can’t get down on the one-yard line three times and come up with three points. And I think we all know that. But what I loved was our compete. I loved the way our guys competed for four quarters; our fans stayed in there with us."

LSU Tigers Football: Brian Kelly. — Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

The Tigers have navigated a challenging first six games of the season with struggles along the offensive line plaguing the offense as a whole.

LSU has rolled with a starting lineup consisting of: LT Tyree Adams, LG Paul Mubenga, C Braelin Moore, RG Josh Thompson and RT Weston Davis.

With Mubenga battling an injury in Week 7, the Tigers tossed in Coen Echols at left guard, but kept the remaining unit the same.

A significant concern along the offensive line has been the right tackle play of Davis after a difficult redshirt-freshman campaign in Baton Rouge.

The Lone Star State native is the Bayou Bengals' lowest-graded offensive lineman - by a significant margin - after five games.

In Week 5 at Ole Miss, Davis was injured in pregame where the Tigers rolled out five-star true freshman Carius Curne at right tackle in place of the original starter in Davis.

The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder performed well for a true freshman with what many would believe had created a "position battle" up front.

Fast forward to Week 7 and Brian Kelly's staff kept Davis as the starter after clearing concussion protocols. Now, he's doubled down on his claim.

"We're willing to live with some mistakes out at right tackle, because we think his future's so bright... So when you go into that process of thinking about it, do you thwart his growth of what he needs to see every day? He was really good against (Dylan Stewart) in pass protection, really good," Kelly said on Monday. "That guy is outstanding. He's as good as I've seen."

"We've got to get him better in the run game, and that's where at times you want to put Josh [Thompson] out there, but we're gonna live with him. And I'm proud of him. He's growing. He's learning this game."

Kelly and Co. will roll with Davis at right tackle - who entered Saturday against South Carolina as No. 608 rated offensive lineman in America out of 653 players.

No. 10 LSU will return to action on Saturday morning against the Vanderbilt Commodores in a Top-25 SEC showdown.

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